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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — to come from
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. can — a tin
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. board — to get on
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. board — a committee
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. sharp — clever
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. can — a tin
  16. can — to be able to
  17. bat — the animal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stem — a stem cell

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com